Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A MEDIA PLAYER FOR RECEIVING MEDIA CONTENT FROM A REMOTE
SERVER
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention pertains to the domain of digital equipment
programming, especially where such programming involves initialising or
otherwise setting said equipment into a predetermined state.
BACKGROUND ART
United States Patent Publication number 8,027,518 B2 discloses an
architecture that can obtain biometric data from a user as the user interacts
with a piece of digital equipment. Based upon the obtained biometric data, the
architecture can determine an identity of the user and automatically apply
settings to the piece of digital equipment, the settings being associated with
the particular user. The disclosure therefore is addressed at solving a
problem
of automatically configuring the piece of digital equipment according to a
particular user, the user being sufficiently authenticated in a convenient
manner without requiring the user to perform an activity over and above the
gestures he would normally make when using the equipment. Given that the
field of application does not present a high incentive for piracy, then the
level
of authentication need not be particularly high and so authentication by
biometric means, although recognised as being imperfect, is deemed to be
sufficient for this application. Since the purpose of the mentioned disclosure
is
not for automatically setting controls of any one from a plurality of
potential
rendering devices such that a user may experience a particular media content
according to his pre-determined preference, specific provision for achieving
such benefits is not disclosed therein.
United States Patent Application Publication number 2011/0154212 A1
describes a method for providing, upon request, an augmented user interface
(AUI) providing functionality to a user having a particular type of special
need
such a user having diminished sight faculties for example. AUI configuration
information for a particular user is collected, recorded in a preference file,
and
sent to a remote server for storage. Upon reception of a login request by the
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remote server, the remote server authenticates the user, retrieves the stored
preference file and sends the preference file to the computer currently being
used by the user. The computer being used by the user can then configure an
appropriate AUI for that user. This provides an adequate interface for the
user
to continue working with his computer using an interface with which he is
familiar and which is adapted to his special needs.
United States Patent Application Publication number 2007/0033634 A1 is
directed towards rendering a media presentation to a user in manner which is
specific to that user depending on some current information regarding the
user. The current information depends on a context and a pre-determined
user-profile. The context is provided by context sensors, which may be
movement detectors or biometric detectors for example to determine what the
user is doing at that particular time. The context is interpreted using the
user-
profile to map to a mood or physical state of the user, thereby allowing for
the
rendering of the media presentation to be adjusted. Such adjustment may
include timing of when an advertisement is shown or different presenters may
be shown or adjustment of playback parameters of the playback device may
be made (e.g. volume or brightness) or even environmental conditions may be
adjusted, such as dimming the room lighting for example. In this manner, the
user experience while the media presentation is being rendered can be
altered depending on a profile and the viewer's current behaviour. The
purpose thus achieved is therefore not one of ensuring that a particular
content will be experienced according to a user's pre-determined control
settings irrespective of the particular device which is being used.
United States Patent Application Publication number 2008/020943 Al
describes a content browsing apparatus and method in which a user
profile and a terminal profile are stored. The user profile comprises
information regarding user-preferred content, while the terminal profile
comprises information related to the browsing apparatus, such as a
user's preferred listening volume on that apparatus. The terminal profile
is created once and is stored on the terminal (browsing apparatus).
Provision is thereby made for apparatus to present the viewer with
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content according to the user's preferred content and the preset
parameters affecting the playback of the content. This does not address
the problem of accessing particular content from any device and having
it played back on that device according to pre-determined settings for
that content.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is aimed at solving some of the problems apparent in
the prior art, including the technology mentioned above. According to an
embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for giving access,
using a media player, to a media content file, said access allowing for a user
to experience rendering of the media content file according to a pre-
determined set of parameters associated with said rendering of said content.
The method includes recovering, from a remote server, a pre-stored metadata
file associated with the pre-stored media content, the metadata file
comprising
settings personalised for the user, the settings affecting parameters related
to
the rendering of the media content on the media player. The parameters
include volume level, bass level, treble level, fader position, balance
position,
brightness level, colour level, contrast level among others.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
media player for performing the above method. The media player can also
automatically store and synchronise preferred settings for rendering of media
content files using the media player, said synchronizing taking place between
the media player and a remote server.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, provision is made
for
a particular file format for a metadata file comprising settings allowing for
a
media player to be configured either according to a user's predetermined
choice or according to particular requirements of a particular media content
file or file-type or according to a particular media player of media player
type.
According to various embodiments a combination of the settings mentioned in
this paragraph may be applied.
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According to one aspect of the present invention, provision is made for a
media player for rendering a media content, the media player comprising
processing means and configured such that at least one characteristic related
to said rendering of the media content is adjustable according to a value of
at
least one control parameter;
characterised in that:
the media player is further configured to:
store a predetermined value of the control parameter on a
server, the media content being associated with the predetermined
value of the control parameter;
recover the predetermined value of the control parameter from
the server; and
adjust the characteristic related to said rendering of the media
content using a control setting value derived from the recovered
predetermined value of the control parameter.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
system comprising:
a media player for rendering a media content; and
a server having a remote connection to the media player;
the media player comprising processing means and configured such
that at least one characteristic related to said rendering of the media
content
is adjustable according to a value of at least one control parameter;
characterised in that:
the media player is further configured to:
store a predetermined value of the control parameter on the
server, the media content being associated with the predetermined
value of the control parameter;
recover the predetermined value of the control parameter from
the server; and
adjust the characteristic related to said rendering of the media
content using a control setting value derived from the recovered
predetermined value of the control parameter.
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According to yet a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a
method for rendering a media content on at least one media player, the media
player configured such that at least one characteristic related to said
rendering of the media content is adjustable according to a value of at least
one control parameter, the method comprising:
storing a predetermined value of the control parameter on a server, the
predetermined value of the control parameter being associated with the media
content;
playing the media content on the media player;
recovering from the server, by the media player, the predetermined
value of the control parameter associated with the media content; and
deriving a control setting value from the recovered value of the control
parameter, the control setting value being used to adjust the characteristic
related to said rendering of the media content.
Accordingly, there is provided a technique for automatically setting controls
of
any one from a plurality of potential rendering devices such that a user may
experience a particular media content according to his pre-determined
preference irrespective of which rendering device is being used.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will be better understood thanks to the detailed
description which follows and the accompanying drawings, which are given as
non-limiting examples of embodiments of the invention, wherein:
Figure 1 shows a system in which an embodiment of the present
invention may be deployed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
When using a media player to play media content, i.e. to play a media content
file, a user generally has to adjust various parameters associated with the
rendering of the media content file on his media player. Such parameters
include listening volume, fade setting, balance setting, bass level and treble
level among others. According to embodiments of the present invention there
is provided a method for storing such settings in a metadata file on a remote
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server along with the media content file and to recover the settings in a
manner which will allow any particular media player selected by the user to
render the media content file according to the user's predetermined
preferences. By remote server it is meant one or more storage facilities
provided outwith the media player where one or more media content files may
be stored. The remote storage facilities can be provided on one or more
computers accessible via a network such as the Internet for example. Such
remote servers may also be referred to as the Cloud. A particular user may
have a Personal Cloud in that access to the content stored in the Personal
Cloud is reserved to that particular user, preferably through a process
including identification and authentication of the user. Advantageously the
remote server is accessible by the user from a large number of geographical
locations, preferably anywhere, and using any media player as long as it is
capable of receiving the media content from the remote server and rendering
the media content.
According to embodiments of the present invention the media player could be
any from of a personal computer (otherwise known as a laptop computer or
desktop computer), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile telephone
(particularly of a so-called Smart-phone type), a computer tablet, a mobile
digital audio file player, a mobile digital video player, a set-top box, a
digital
television set (such as an integrated digital TV, mobile or fixed, especially
one
adapted for playing content from a remote server (IPTV)) or any other digital
electronic device allowing for either a hardware, software or mixed
hardware/software media playing function to be installed and operated.
According to a first embodiment of the present invention a media player is
provided, the media player comprising a storage module upon which a media
content file may be stored. The storage medium may also serve to store a
metadata file comprising parameter settings useful during rendering of the
media content file by the same media player or another media player.
Throughout this document, the term control parameter may also be used to
mean the parameter setting. The metadata file may be used to adjust various
parameter settings of the media player. By adjusting the parameter settings
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the rendering of the media content by the media player may be altered in a
way which is perceptible by the user. It can therefore also be said that the
media player is configured such that at least one characteristic related to
the
rendering of media content is adjustable according to a value of on or more
control parameters. Whereas it is not usual for control parameters, as
described herein, to be associated with a piece of media content, according to
embodiments of the present invention, control parameters are associated at
least with a particular media content. The storage module thus provides at
least temporary storage for at least the metadata file, since the media player
further comprises a communication interface for storing at least the metadata
file on a remote server. The communication interface must be bidirectional,
thereby allowing the media player to send the metadata file to the remote
server or to recover a media data file and/or its associated metadata file
from
the receiver, as will be seen later. According to preferred embodiments, the
media content file is also stored on the server. According to some
embodiments, the media content file and the metadata file are associated with
each other in the sense that the settings within the metadata file are to be
applied to a media player whenever that particular media content file is to be
rendered. It will be recognised by the person of ordinary skill in the art
that
media content files may comprise audio, video or audio/video content.
Settings which may be stored in the metadata file may therefore be applicable
to any of the usual parameters associated with the rendering of the media
content file, such as listening volume level, fade setting, balance setting,
bass
level and treble level, fader position, balance position, brightness level,
colour
level and contrast level, among others. These are otherwise known as
characteristics related to the rendering of the media content. These settings
and levels are parameters which affect the qualities perceived by a user
during rendering of the content by the media player. To be more specific,
loudness is a quality perceptible by the user, bass level is a quality
perceptible
by the user etc. These qualities can also be known as characteristics related
to the rendering of the media content.
Figure 1 shows an exemplary system in which an embodiment of the present
invention may be deployed. A user has access to a personal cloud (C) on a
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remote server (S), the server having a storage module with a first storage
space (CT) for one or more media content files (CT1) and a second storage
space (MD) for metadata files (MD1) a metadata file (MD1) being associable
with a media content file (CT1). In Figure 1 a dotted arrow is shown between
the media content file (CT1) and the metadata (MD1) file, indicating that the
two files are associated with each other, meaning that a user has already
chosen his settings for that particular media content file (CT1) and saved it
in
the metadata file (MD1) on his personal cloud (C) on the remote server (S).
By personal cloud (C) it is meant a space on the server which is accessible by
the user upon successful authentication. The server has processing means
(CPS), which may be used for processing the metadata file (MD1). The
remote server (S) has a communication link (ANT, TXRX) to a media player
(MP) and as such the media player (MP) may upload or download data from
the server (S). The media player has rendering device (VDU), such as a
speaker or a display or a display and a speaker, for rendering the media
content. The media player further comprises a processor (CPMP) which may
be used for processing settings from the metadata files (MD). The
bidirectional link may also be referred to as a bidirectional channel.
During operation of a media player according to any of the embodiments of
the present invention, a media player stores a metadata file on a remote
server, the metadata file comprising the user's preferred settings for the
rendering of a particular media content file. When the same media content file
is subsequently selected by the user for rendering on the same media player
or another media player, the user may choose whether or not he wants to use
his preferred settings for rendering of the selected media content file. In
the
case that the user does want to use his preferred settings, the previously
stored settings associated with the selected media content file are recovered
from the metadata file stored on the server and the settings are applied to
the
media player for the rendering of the content. The media content file may
either be played from the memory module of the media player or recovered
from the remote server along with the associated metadata file (by either
downloading or streaming). In the case that the user decides not to use the
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previously stored settings, then he will configure new settings for the media
player manually.
According to embodiments of the present invention the settings in the
metadata file are stored in absolute form, where the actual value of the
parameter setting is stored in the file. Alternatively a relative value is
stored,
for example in percentage terms. A 50% value for a particular setting would
mean that the parameter setting was at 50% of its maximum in this case.
Alternatively, both the absolute and relative values could be stored to allow
for
flexibility in applying the settings depending on whether or not the settings
will
be applied to the same media player which was used to determine the
settings or a different media player. In the context of the present invention,
a
relative value means a value from which the actual parameter setting may be
derived given the predetermined range of possible values for the media
player.
If the same media player or the same type or model or manufacturer of media
player is used to replay a content file, then it is simple to use just the
absolute
value of a setting from the metadata file to programme the media player
during subsequent playing of the same content. Alternatively, if a different
type of media player is used for the subsequent playing or a different
manufacturer or different model, then it is advantageous to use the relative
settings. An application in the server or on the media player can be executed
on a processor to convert the relative value to a value which will be
understood by the media player.
As mentioned above, the calculation of the required commands to be applied
to the media player could be done using the processor on the remote server.
Such calculations could be based on known elements relative to the media
player identification in terms of type, model etc stored in a library on the
server
or taken directly from the media player when it connects to the server.
Alternatively, it could be left for the processor on the media player itself
to
interpret the settings from the metadata file.
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By having both relative and absolute settings recorded in the metadata file it
is
then easy to configure a media player of the same model as the one which
was used to generate the parameter settings by simply using the absolute
settings. Similarly it easy to configure a media player of a different make or
model by deriving settings based on the relative settings in the metadata
file.
For systems in which embodiments of the present invention are deployed
where both the media content file and the metadata file are stored on the
remote server, access is guaranteed even if rendering of content is required
on a different device from the one which was used when storing the settings.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the remote server
storage device further comprises an area where a library of known media
players is stored. This library can be updated as and when users save their
settings. An application on the remote server retrieves a device identifier
from
a media device when it connects and stores the device's capabilities in a file
pertaining to the particular device type or model. This information may also
help in determining a device's maximum and minimum settings per parameter
(predetermined range), which will help when the settings in a metadata file
are
expressed in relative terms such as in percentage value for example.
As mentioned above, the media player may be any of the known types as long
as it has access to the remote server. Typically this will be an internet
protocol
interface capable of accessing the user's so-called private cloud on the
internet. The media player, typically referred to as a client device since it
is
configured to connect to a server, according to an embodiment, is further
configured to communicate its device type and capabilities to the server.
According to an embodiment, the server is configured to adapt the settings
from the metadata file to be suitable for the particular client according to
the
capabilities communicated by the client to the server. For this the server has
a
processor to be able to translate the settings in relative terms to absolute
terms using the discovered capabilities of the media player. By discover it
means that the media player sends its capabilities in terms of predetermined
ranges of its settings to the server at some point during a communication
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between the two. In another embodiment it is the client itself which is
configured to extract the settings from the metadata file and to interpret the
settings in an appropriate manner to be able to apply them to its own
particular settings requirements. The metadata file may include all settings
applicable to a large set of known clients, each client using only those
settings
which are applicable to it, or the server configuring those settings on the
client
which are applicable to that particular client. Different clients may have
different settings including HD/SD, surround sound type, noise reduction type,
stereo/mono, 2D/3D etc.
According to the various embodiment of the present invention discussed
above, the metadata file further includes settings applicable to a media
player,
the settings having been predetermined by a particular user. According to
another embodiment of the present invention, the settings could be
predetermined with respect to a particular media player without such settings
having been predetermined by a particular user but rather a set of default
settings, possibly manufacturer-suggested settings applicable to the
particular
media player or rather media player type. A further variant of this embodiment
is where the settings are related to a particular content or a particular
content
type. In this case the settings are predetermined according to the media
content itself or the media content type itself. This is useful when the
particular
media content or type is best rendered when a media player is configured
according to a set of settings, perhaps predetermined by the originator or
author of the content. For example, a composer of a particular piece of music
may suggest that the particular piece be best experienced when the piece is
played at a particularly low volume for example. He could then associate the
appropriate settings with his piece. Another work may be best experienced in
2D, in which case a media player having 3D capability will nonetheless render
the content in 2D thanks to the predetermined settings. A particular cartoon
may be best viewed with the contrast at a particularly high value, in which
case such a setting may be associated with that content and included in the
metadata file.
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According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, which may be
combined with any of the previously described embodiments, the settings in
the metadata file may include values having an effect on physical parameters
of the media player. By physical parameters it is meant parameters having an
effect which is not necessarily limited directly to the rendering of the
content
but rather having an effect on the media player itself such as powering down
of the media player or editing a real time clock within the media player or
delaying a time of rendering of the content or changing channel for example.
These functions, which do not simply have an effect on the quality of the
rendering of the content perceived by the user, shall be known as physical
functions of the media player.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, where the settings
in the metadata file are at least associated with at least one user, the media
player further comprises a biometric sensor to measure at least one biometric
characteristic of the user. This measurement is then used (either by a
processor in the media player or by a processor on the server) to identify the
user and then to impose a predetermined set of settings applicable during the
rendering of the content for that user. For example, this would be the case
when the media player further comprises a sensor configured to detect at
least one biometric parameter of the user, and further configured to use the
biometric parameter to affect the rendering of the media content file. For
example, the media player may be operably connected to a camera
configured to detect the distance between the user's eyes. Given that the
inter-ocular distance between an adult's eyes is greater than that between a
child's eyes, such a measurement, made thanks to the camera and a
processor configured to calculate the inter-ocular distance for the user, may
be included as a parameter in the metadata file to set the media player to
prevent playing of a particular content or content type should the inter-
ocular
distance fall below a predetermined threshold.
The embodiment mentioned in the paragraph above may be adapted to allow
for parental control, whereby if the media player detects that a child is
watching the content, then any of the known limitations can be applied, such
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as limiting the listening volume or limiting the time which the user can spend
viewing the content. In this case the media player further comprises a clock
at
least for measuring playing time of a piece of content. For media players
comprising a clock configured to measure time of day, then the volume could
be limited when content is watched later than a predetermined time of day. In
these embodiments the processor in the media player can monitor the
necessary parameters (time, inter-ocular distance etc) and adjust the settings
in the metadata file as a function of the readings from the clock and/or the
biometric sensor when the metadata file is downloaded from the remote
server. Alternatively it could be the server which is configured to edit the
settings before editing the settings in the metadata file and transmitting the
metadata file to the media player. Any of the known transmission methods
may be used to transmitting the settings to the media player although in a
preferred embodiment such transmission is via the bidirectional
communication channel which exists between the communication interface of
the media player and the remote server.
In a particular embodiment of the present invention where the media player is
configured to be able to render the media content in 3D, the media player may
be further configured to detect whether or not the user is wearing 3D glasses
and to edit the settings in any of the ways mentioned previously to force the
media player to render the content either in 2D or 3D according to whether or
not the user is wearing the 3D glasses.
Embodiments of the present invention allow for a user to save a number of
parameters associated with playback of a media content file or parameters
otherwise affecting a media player during playback of a particular media
content file. Such parameters are usually those chosen or otherwise
previously set by the user and are saved on a remote server within a
metadata file associated with the particular media content file. In this
manner
the user advantageously has access to his chosen settings any time he plays
the media content file. The user may further share the settings with another
user so that the other user can also enjoy the experience afforded by the use
of the saved settings during playback of the media content file. According to
a
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particular embodiment, a general set of settings can be saved in a metadata
file on the remote server, where the general set of settings is not
particularly
associated with any one piece of media content but rather is one user's
settings for a particular media player or type of media player or model of
media player.
The metadata file comprising the settings (.settings for example) may have
any of the known formats for machine-readable or human-readable computer
files as long as the format is suitable to be properly interpreted by the
media
player. Known formats for the settings file include simple ASCII text files or
script files such as java, perl or php for example. Mark-up language file
formats may also be used, including for example XML files, XrML files or
HTML files.
According to yet another embodiment, the settings comprised in the metadata
file on the remote server may further include the user's favourite in terms of
a
preferred composer, a preferred film director, a preferred interpreter, a
preferred musical style or a preferred film genre for example. In this way, if
the
media player obtains access to a media library, such as a media server or a
library on a hard disk, then by downloading the user's settings from the
metadata file on the remote server, the media player can extract the user's
favourites and scan the library for media content which corresponds to the
user's services and propose the content found to the user. The favourites may
of course be direct references to particular content rather then just a genre.
For example the favourites may include the title of a particular film or piece
of
music.
An example of an embodiment of the present invention in use would be a user
who decides to watch a particular film which is stored in his private cloud
(i.e.
on a remote server giving restricted access to the user) switches on his TV,
connects to his private cloud and authenticated himself. Any of the known
means of authentication are possible, such as a username and a PIN or a
username and a password or any of the known authentications via biometric
techniques for example. A system in which the embodiment of the invention is
deployed may further comprise a conditional access module known in the
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domain of Pay-TV in order to perform any of the known cryptographic
authentication techniques. Once successfully authenticated, the user browses
through the data available on his cloud, i.e. the media content files thereon,
and selects one for rendering (viewing in the case of a film or listening in
the
case of audio content such as a music file). The user downloads a copy of the
film to his TV or streams a copy of the film to his TV and begins watching it.
He adjusts the brightness, colour, volume, and bass and sets the player to
render the audio part of the content in stereo. When the user has finished
watching, the player saves the settings that were used to play the film in a
metadata file and stores the metadata file on the user's cloud and associates
the metadata file to the media content file which has the film. At some point
in
the future the user decides to watch the same film again. He authenticates
himself again and watches the film again on his TV, this time directly using
the
settings that he last used thanks to having also downloaded the settings from
the metadata file associated with the film. Alternatively, if he chose to
access
the film from his mobile phone while traveling, thanks to the fact that the
settings are also stored in relative values as well as or instead of absolute
values, then the new media player, which is the mobile phone, is able to
reproduce the same settings that were previously used on the TV. The
translation of the relative values to values required for the new media player
may be carried out by an appropriate processor on the remote server (cloud)
or alternatively may be carried out by an appropriate processor comprised in
the media player. The processor (either remote or local) may also take care of
properly interpreting certain settings and either ignoring them where a
certain
setting is not applicable or interpreting them where a particular setting has
a
different meaning or has otherwise to be deduced.
Another example of the embodiment of the present invention in use would be
similar to the above except that after the user watches the film for the first
time
and saves the settings on the cloud, he goes to his friend's house to watch
the
same movie with his friend on his friend's TV. An application is available on
the cloud, configured to interpret metadata files and to translate the
settings
therein from being suitable from a first media player model to being suitable
for a second media player model. The user decides to share his settings with
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his friend. The user accesses his cloud, runs the application to translate his
settings for his TV to be compatible with the settings required by his
friend's
TV to create a second metadata file and designates the second metadata file
as being shareable with his friend. His friend then recovers the settings from
the second metadata file and applies them to his TV while watching the film
with the user.
Accordingly, there is provided a technique for automatically setting controls
of
any one from a plurality of potential rendering devices such that a user may
experience a particular media content according to his pre-determined
preference irrespective of which rendering device is being used. Pre-
determined preferences are associated at least with the content to be
rendered and may be recovered in a secure way from a server following
appropriate authentication.
